Up Close and Personal with Falcons

Hooded falcons waiting pre-and post-procedure

A hooded falcon n the waiting area

A falcon getting its talons clipped

One of two of the practice's falcons. which we all got a chance to hold

Me holding a falcon

Operating room with procedure underway

Door to intensive care unit

An owl being kept in an outdoor cage at the hospital; owls are not native to Abu Dhabi

Outside of Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital

After another day at sea, we docked at Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates on Day 18.  A visit to the Falcon Hospital was very interesting.  We learned that, to curb a potential black market in falconry, falcons have their own passports.  And when falcons travel, they sit in there own seat in the airplane. We also learned that falcons, since they spent most of their time sitting around, need to have their talons trimmed periodically, and we were able to watch a falcon getting a "pedicure."